Executive Summary Packaging industrial bearings requires balancing cross-sectional annular protection with high-throughput line velocity. Automated horizontal orbital wrappers pass packaging media (stretch film, VCI anti-rust film, crepe paper, or woven belts) through the bearing’s open inner bore via a vertical rotating ring while driven support rollers rotate the bearing horizontally. For high-volume production, selecting between the FPBS-200, FPB-200, FPB-400, and ultra-heavy FPCA-6000 depends on strict physical boundaries: bore inner diameter (ID), outer diameter (OD), cross-sectional delta (OD − ID), face width, and total mass. The FPB-400 serves the heavy industrial envelope, processing ODs from 500 to 1,200 mm and payload weights up to 500 kg within an automated 30–50 s overall floor cycle.
How the bearing wrapper works
Automated bearing packing machines apply helical protective wrapping across the entire annular cross-section of slewing, cylindrical, spherical, and tapered roller bearings. The process runs through two synchronized, orthogonal axes of motion:
- Part Infeed and Centering: The bearing moves horizontally (eye-to-sky) via a driven roller conveyor into the wrapping station. A pneumatic centering mechanism aligns the bearing bore symmetrically with the vertical rotating shuttle ring.
- Dual-Axis Orbital Wrapping: As the bearing sits on motorized polyurethane-coated support rollers, the rotating ring drives the packaging film roll through the inner diameter (ID). The support rollers rotate the bearing around its vertical centerline while the shuttle ring spins along the vertical plane. This dual motion produces a uniform, overlapping helical wrap across the inner bore, top face, outer diameter (OD), and bottom face.
- Cut and Tail Clamp: Optical sensors count ring revolutions and detect material index. At cycle completion, an integrated pneumatic clamp-and-cut arm grips the trailing edge, severs the media, and seals the tail against the wrapped profile before conveyor discharge.
The size gate: core ID, OD, width, weight
Proper wrapper integration begins with the size gate. Selecting an orbital wrapper is constrained by four physical boundaries: minimum bore clearance for the ring shuttle, maximum outer swing clearance, roller bed load capacity, and face width capacity.
| Equipment Model | Inner Diameter (ID) Range | Outer Diameter (OD) Range | Radial Cross-Section (OD − ID) | Bearing Face Width | Payload Weight Capacity | Power & Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPBS-200 | Φ120–Φ270 mm | Custom small range | < 190 mm | 40–130 mm | 5–70 kg | 380V / 50Hz, Max ring speed 100 r/min |
| FPB-200 | 300–600 mm | 700–1,000 mm | Standard clearance | 20–200 mm | 20–200 kg | 380V / 50Hz, 1.5 kW |
| FPB-400 | 300–800 mm | 500–1,200 mm | Standard clearance | 100–400 mm | 100–500 kg | 380V / 50Hz, 2.5 kW |
| FPCA-6000 | 2,500–4,200 mm | 2,900–5,000 mm | < 950 mm | 150–600 mm | 500–12,000 kg | 200V / 60Hz 3-Phase, 4.5 kW |
Critical Boundary Warning: The 600 kg Threshold
A frequent engineering oversight occurs when evaluating workpieces with an inner diameter of 400 mm and an overall weight of 600 kg. While an ID of 400 mm fits comfortably within the mechanical ring envelope of the FPB-400 (300–800 mm), the 600 kg payload exceeds the 500 kg structural limit of the FPB-400 support roller shafts, drive transmission, and pneumatic lift gates. Workpieces exceeding 500 kg require project-specific reinforcement engineering or evaluation against the heavy-duty FPCA platform. Intermediate envelopes previously referenced under legacy FPB-300 designations require customized roller center-distance validation confirmed by plant engineering.
FPB-400 versus FPB-200 and FPBS-200
Choosing among standard orbital models requires isolating operational line demands:
- FPBS-200: Purpose-engineered for precision miniature and light-series bearings. It features a compact shuttle ring designed for inner bore diameters down to 120 mm and total payloads between 5 and 70 kg, running cycle speeds up to 100 r/min with 20–35 s/pce throughput.
- FPB-200: Configured for mid-range bearing rings and narrow cylindrical rollers. With a 1.5 kW drive, it accommodates face widths down to 20 mm (up to 200 mm) and total weights of 20–200 kg, running complete cycles in 35–45 s/pce.
- FPB-400: Engineered for heavy multi-row roller assemblies and mid-sized slewing bearings. With a reinforced 2.5 kW drive and robust support roller assemblies, it handles wide face profiles (100–400 mm) and payloads up to 500 kg, running ring speeds between 30 and 70 r/min.
Overlap at the OD
Because the outer circumference of a circular ring is significantly longer than its inner bore circumference, the packaging material’s linear overlap is always lowest at the outer diameter (OD) and densest at the inner diameter (ID). If linear film advance per ring revolution is too high, the wrap at the OD can drop below acceptable moisture-barrier thresholds, leaving bare gaps.
Kinematic Overlap Model
At a steady bearing rotational speed and ring rotation speed, the linear advance of the packaging material along the outer diameter per ring rotation determines the overlap percentage:
Linear Advance at OD (mm/rev) = (Conveyor/Support Surface Linear Speed × 60) / Ring RPM
Approximating OD overlap percentage based on roll width:
Overlap_OD (%) = [1 - (Bearing Peripheral Advance per Wrap / Film Width)] × 100%
Since Bearing Peripheral Advance per Wrap = (Bearing Peripheral Speed × 60) / Ring RPM, and Bearing Peripheral Speed = π × OD × (Bearing RPM / 60):
Overlap_OD (%) ≈ [1 - (Bearing RPM × π × OD) / (Ring RPM × Film Width)] × 100%
Comparative Sizing Examples
Consider a packaging standard utilizing 100 mm wide packaging film:
-
Case 1: Standard Medium Geometry (ID 400 mm, OD 800 mm) Outer circumference = π × 800 mm ≈ 2,513 mm. If the recipe calls for a total of 50 wraps around the circumference, linear advance per wrap along the OD is:
2,513 mm / 50 wraps = 50.26 mm advance per wrap.Overlap at OD = (1 - 50.26 / 100) × 100% ≈ 49.7%. This provides a continuous two-layer weather seal across the outer raceway. -
Case 2: Large-Diameter Slim Ring (ID 300 mm, OD 1,200 mm) Outer circumference = π × 1,200 mm ≈ 3,770 mm. Using the identical 50 wraps:
3,770 mm / 50 wraps = 75.4 mm advance per wrap.Overlap at OD = (1 - 75.4 / 100) × 100% = 24.6%. At 24.6%, the overlap is near the critical 20% minimum boundary. To maintain a robust 50% overlap on a 1,200 mm OD workpiece, the operator must increase the wrap count to at least 76 wraps (3,770 mm / 50 mm = 75.4), increase the ring RPM relative to the roller speed, or use wider film stock (e.g., 150 mm to 200 mm).
Wrap time and what the published cycle includes
Specifications for the FPB-400 list a cycle duration of 30–50 s per piece. In process engineering calculations, this metric must not be confused with pure ring spinning time.
Operational Step Breakdown
A complete automatic packaging cycle consists of:
- Infeed conveying, pneumatic stop positioning, and self-centering: 8–12 s
- Dual-axis orbital helical wrapping: 12–30 s (governed by ring speed and required wraps)
- Ring deceleration, home-position indexing, pneumatic clamp-and-cut: 6–8 s
- Lowering of centering arms and outfeed discharge: 4–6 s
Practical Calculation
For an OD 800 mm bearing requiring 10 wraps under a ring rotation speed of 50 r/min:
Pure Wrapping Time = (10 wraps × 60 s) / 50 r/min = 12 s
Adding material feed, centring, clamp-and-cut and conveyor indexing, timed on your floor:
Total Cycle Time = 12 s (wrap) + 20 s (handling) = 32 s
That total is what has to land inside the published 30–50 s per piece rating. Calculating net line throughput using only pure wrapping time will artificially inflate production estimates by more than 50%.
Big bearings: FPCA-6000
When bearing outer diameters expand beyond 1,200 mm and weights exceed 500 kg, standard compact orbital ring wrappers reach their structural limits. Large slewing bearings, wind turbine pitch/yaw bearings, and heavy rolling mill bearings move to the FPCA-6000 platform.
- Payload Envelope: Handles unit loads from 500 kg up to 12,000 kg with an OD span from 2,900 mm to 5,000 mm and ID span from 2,500 mm to 4,200 mm (radial delta OD − ID < 950 mm).
- Processing Capabilities: Accommodates face widths of 150–600 mm utilizing heavy-duty 200 mm or 300 mm wide VCI and stretch film rolls (reel ID 50 mm, reel OD 100–300 mm).
- Drive Dynamics: Equipped with a 4.5 kW drive system running at 200V / 60Hz 3-phase power, rotating heavy support tracks at 2–4 m/min to complete multi-layer wraps in approximately 60–110 s per unit.
Materials and film rolls
Industrial bearing orbital wrappers support various packaging materials via mechanical tension-controlled dispenser arbors:
- Stretch film (PE): Provides dust-proof, moisture-tight external mechanical holding force.
- VCI Anti-Corrosion Film: Emits continuous volatile corrosion inhibitors inside the enclosed cavity, passivating internal ground raceways without requiring heavy residual greasing.
- Crepe / Goffered Paper: Absorbs excess rust-preventative oil while offering cushioning against mechanical transit impacts.
- Woven PE/PP Tape: Applied as an exterior armor layer for export shipments to resist tears from handling hooks and chains.
The pneumatic cutting assembly cleanly severs both elastic stretch films and reinforced woven polymer strips upon ring homing.
Selection checklist
When sizing an orbital wrapper for an automated bearing packing cell, verify the following plant parameters:
- Dimensional Gate: Minimum ID, maximum OD, and maximum face width (including mounting flanges or bolt spacers).
- Weight Gate: Minimum and maximum raw part mass (verifying the 500 kg ceiling on FPB-400 versus heavy-duty options).
- Target OD Overlap: Minimum required overlap percentage at the largest OD (typically ≥ 30% for inland freight, ≥ 50% for sea freight).
- Material Specification: Single-layer stretch wrapping or dual synchronized media (e.g., inner VCI paper plus outer stretch film).
- Cycle Pace Demand: Required throughput in units per hour (accounting for mechanical handling, not just ring rotation).
- Electrical and Control Protocol: Supply voltage (e.g., 380V / 50Hz, 200V / 60Hz) and factory PLC bus interfaces (Profinet, EtherNet/IP, or dry contacts).
Engineering FAQ
What are the boundary limits for the FPB-400?
The FPB-400 accommodates bearing inner bore diameters (ID) from 300 to 800 mm, outer diameters (OD) from 500 to 1,200 mm, face widths from 100 to 400 mm, and total payload weights from 100 to 500 kg.
Can an bearing with 400 mm ID and 600 kg weight run on an FPB-400?
No. Although the 400 mm ID falls within the 300–800 mm ring shuttle range, the 600 kg mass exceeds the FPB-400 rated structural capacity of 500 kg. This application requires custom reinforcement or evaluation under an engineered heavy-duty platform.
How does bearing OD influence actual wrap cycle duration?
Because outer circumference expands with diameter, wrapping a large OD bearing while maintaining a set overlap percentage requires more total ring wraps. A 1,200 mm OD bearing requires approximately 50% more ring revolutions than an 800 mm OD bearing to achieve identical OD seal overlap, directly extending pure rotation time.
Does the published 30–50 s cycle time include part handling?
Yes. The 30–50 s/pce specification is an overall floor-to-floor processing cycle. It incorporates automatic infeed conveyor travel, pneumatic self-centering, the physical ring wrapping sequence, automated film cutting/clamping, and conveyor outfeed.
Next step
To size your automated bearing packaging line and confirm exact conveyor, shuttle ring, and roller clearances:
- Submit Product Data: Send your bearing dimensional schedule (minimum/maximum ID, OD, face width, and part weight distribution) to info@fhopepack.com.
- Engineering Layout Review: Receive a detailed line evaluation within 24 to 48 hours, including calculated overlap matrices, roller center-distance layouts, and cycle time projections.
- Integration and FAT: Confirm downstream wash line handshakes, roller bed coatings, and Factory Acceptance Testing schedules.
For direct machine technical specifications, explore:
- Bearing packing machine FPB-400
- Bearing packing machine FPB-200
- Small bearing wrapping machine FPBS-200
- Big size bearing packing machine FPCA-6000
Last reviewed: 2026-11-05
